British · Bournemouth, England · Born 10 July 1945British player who won 3 Grand Slam singles titles, most memorably capturing Wimbledon in 1977 during the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations.
Sarah Virginia Wade was born on 10 July 1945 in Bournemouth, England, the youngest of four children of an Anglican clergyman who became the Archdeacon of Durban, South Africa. The family moved there when Virginia was one, and she discovered tennis at nine after finding an old racquet while cleaning a closet, quickly becoming "invincible" in local junior tournaments. Wade returned to England at 15, attending Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School before graduating from the University of Sussex with a degree in mathematics and physics in 1966, all while developing her tennis career on the side. She turned professional in 1968, the year professionals and amateurs were first permitted to compete together, and won the inaugural US Open that same year, defeating Billie Jean King in the final. Wade added the Australian Open in 1972, defeating Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the final, but it was her fourth and final major that defined her career: at Wimbledon in 1977, in the tournament's centenary year and Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee, Wade finally won the title on her 16th attempt, defeating Betty Stöve in front of the watching Queen — one of the most emotionally significant victories in British sporting history. Wade remains the only British woman to have won titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments, and was the last British player, male or female, to win a home singles title until Andy Murray's 2013 Wimbledon triumph. She was appointed CBE in 2025 for services to tennis and charity, and became the first woman elected to the Wimbledon Committee.
1977 Wimbledon champion in the Queen's Silver Jubilee year
She remains the last British woman to win Wimbledon — a wait for a successor that has now extended to nearly 50 years.
Did You Know?How They Played
Wade was known for her powerful baseline game and strong forehand. She possessed excellent court coverage and was particularly effective on grass courts, which suited her aggressive style of play.
Lasting Impact
Wade remains the last British woman to win the Wimbledon singles title, making her 1977 victory a defining moment in British tennis history.
Career Honours
- 3 Grand Slam singles titles (1968 US Open, 1972 Australian Open, 1977 Wimbledon)
- International Tennis Hall of Fame (1989)
British Athletes